The protests in Iran, Libya and other Middle East countries following the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have kept oil markets on edge, with investors concerned that unrest in the maj or oil-exporting region could send prices higher on any signs of escalating turmoil.

But if I were in charge of an oil-exporting country and every last person on earth had come to know the permanent nature of the oil crisis, why wouldn't I start giving resource nationalism a good look.

In November, the king appointed his son Miteb to head the kingdom's National Guard after the elderly monarch fell ill with a herniated disc, The move sparked speculation once again about succession in the world's top oil-exporting nation.

This oil-exporting country of 154 million people has long enjoyed the money and manpower to dominate its continent, and some analysts expect it to top South Africa as the most economically and politically powerful country in Africa by 2030.